Arsenal and Tottenham are reportedly interested in signing Philippe Coutinho, valued at around €35 million by Barcelona, this summer.
According to a report by Transfer Market Web, Philippe Coutinho appears set to leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window. And, a return to the Premier League could be likely, with Arsenal and Tottenham plotting to swoop the Brazilian playmaker away from Camp Nou.
Philippe Coutinho was in seventh heaven when he sealed his dream move to Barcelona in January 2018 and made an instant impact at Camp Nou, as the Blaugrana ended the 2017/18 season on a strong note. However, things soon turned pear-shaped for the Brazilian international, who started struggling to impact games.
After a horrendous 2018/19 campaign, he was hauled off on loan to Bayern Munich, where he put in a decent shift before returning to Barcelona last summer. So far this season, though, Coutinho has been unable to make a case for himself due to a long-term knee injury, which has restricted him to just 792 minutes of action. The 28-year-old, though, could leave Barcelona and is on the radar of Arsenal and Tottenham now.
Arsenal’s interest in Coutinho appears to be quite straightforward, with the Gunners intent on landing a no. 10 in the summer transfer window. Following Mesut Ozil’s departure, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard have stepped up admirably through the middle, with the Gunners now keen on signing the latter permanently from Real Madrid.
However, the pursuit of Odegaard is extremely complicated, with Real Madrid likely to charge a hefty sum for him, while Liverpool have recently emerged as a viable alternative to Arsenal for him. Coutinho is, therefore, a feasible target for Arsenal, although they now face competition from local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in his pursuit.
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Spurs’ keenness to sign Coutinho might not be unfounded, with Dele Alli continuing to face an uncertain future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. If the Englishman ends up leaving, a space would open up in Jose Mourinho’s squad, one that can be easily filled by the Barcelona playmaker.
It does appear like Barcelona are set to cash in on Coutinho, who will, in turn, embark on a new adventure in the summer transfer window. Available for around €35 million, Coutinho will not make a huge hole in either Arsenal or Tottenham’s pockets either.
Having said that, it is Arsenal who are seriously considering a move for the 28-year-old Brazilian playmaker, with Tottenham simply monitoring his situation for now. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see what the future has in store for Coutinho come summer, with a departure from Barcelona highly likely.
